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US CONGRESSMEN CONCERNED ABOUT KESSAB ARMENIANS
Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 31 2014
30 March 2014, Sunday /ANKARA, TODAY'S ZAMAN
Four members of the US House of Representatives who are the leaders
of the Armenian Caucus in Congress have urged the White House to take
the necessary measures to safeguard the Christian Armenian community
of Kessab in Syria.
In a letter to US President Barack Obama dated March 28, Democrats
Frank Pallone, Jr., of New Jersey and Adam Schiff of California, and
Republican Congressmen David Valadao of California and Michael Grimm
of New York said: "We are writing to express our serious concerns
regarding credible reports that Islamist rebels entering from Turkey
this past weekend were involved in attacks in the Latakia region
of Syria, specifically the town of Kessab, which is a predominately
Armenian populated area. Such actions shock the conscious and must
be resoundingly condemned."
Rebel groups, including the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, seized
control of Kessab last Sunday.
The Syrian government as well as several Armenian websites claim that
the rebels entered Syria from Turkey.
The letter continued with a report from The Wall Street Journal on
March 26, saying, "For Armenian-Syrians from the town of Kassab
[sic] in Latakia, which rebels overran this weekend, the Turkish
involvement reminded them of a dark chapter in their history: the
Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman empire in 1915."
Ankara denies claims that the events of 1915 amounted to genocide,
arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in collaboration
with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern Anatolia.
The congressmen's letter claimed that with the 1915 deportation of
the Armenian population by the Ottoman Empire, 5,000 Armenians lost
their lives in Kessab. "Now, 99 years after their initial deportation,
another expulsion of Armenians is a telling reminder about the dangers
of genocide denial and Turkey's failure to address its genocidal
legacy," said the letter.
It continued, "With the Christian Armenian community being uprooted
from its homeland, yet again, we strongly urge you to take all
necessary measures without delay to safeguard the Christian Armenian
community of Kessab."
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-343424-us-congressmen-concerned-about-kessab-armenians.html
Today's Zaman, Turkey
March 31 2014
30 March 2014, Sunday /ANKARA, TODAY'S ZAMAN
Four members of the US House of Representatives who are the leaders
of the Armenian Caucus in Congress have urged the White House to take
the necessary measures to safeguard the Christian Armenian community
of Kessab in Syria.
In a letter to US President Barack Obama dated March 28, Democrats
Frank Pallone, Jr., of New Jersey and Adam Schiff of California, and
Republican Congressmen David Valadao of California and Michael Grimm
of New York said: "We are writing to express our serious concerns
regarding credible reports that Islamist rebels entering from Turkey
this past weekend were involved in attacks in the Latakia region
of Syria, specifically the town of Kessab, which is a predominately
Armenian populated area. Such actions shock the conscious and must
be resoundingly condemned."
Rebel groups, including the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, seized
control of Kessab last Sunday.
The Syrian government as well as several Armenian websites claim that
the rebels entered Syria from Turkey.
The letter continued with a report from The Wall Street Journal on
March 26, saying, "For Armenian-Syrians from the town of Kassab
[sic] in Latakia, which rebels overran this weekend, the Turkish
involvement reminded them of a dark chapter in their history: the
Armenian genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman empire in 1915."
Ankara denies claims that the events of 1915 amounted to genocide,
arguing that both Turks and Armenians were killed when Armenians
revolted against the Ottoman Empire during World War I in collaboration
with the Russian army, which was then invading Eastern Anatolia.
The congressmen's letter claimed that with the 1915 deportation of
the Armenian population by the Ottoman Empire, 5,000 Armenians lost
their lives in Kessab. "Now, 99 years after their initial deportation,
another expulsion of Armenians is a telling reminder about the dangers
of genocide denial and Turkey's failure to address its genocidal
legacy," said the letter.
It continued, "With the Christian Armenian community being uprooted
from its homeland, yet again, we strongly urge you to take all
necessary measures without delay to safeguard the Christian Armenian
community of Kessab."
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-343424-us-congressmen-concerned-about-kessab-armenians.html